Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to electronic devices and more particularly to voltage and current limits for electronic devices.
Description of the Related Art
A typical design flow for an electronic device includes design verification, wherein the operation of the electronic device are simulated to generate a set of operating characteristics and the operating characteristics are compared to a device specification to determine whether a design of the electronic device is predicted to operate properly. One characteristic that is sometimes examined during verification is referred to as a safe operating area (SOA) of the electronic device. The SOA identifies, for a specified maximum temperature, corresponding voltage or current conditions over which the electronic device can operate without exceeding a specified level of damage to the electronic device. The resulting voltage or current conditions are employed as limits to the supply voltage or current for the electronic device, thereby maintaining operation of the electronic device within specified limits and protecting a lifespan of the electronic device. The specified maximum temperature is typically set to an expected maximum temperature of the electronic device under the most extreme expected operating conditions. This can result in the voltage or current conditions being set at a level that unnecessarily reduces overall performance of the electronic device.